There's No Place Like (A Corellian) Home
by jeanmarie3
Summary: After a long trip, Han is anxious to return home to his wife and children. Fluffy and sweet, like all of the Christmas cookies and treats I've been eating - but shouldn't be. I'll eat a salad tomorrow.
1. Chapter 1

_I feel completely gutted by the loss of Carrie, as I'm sure anyone who's reading this is also. She was a beautiful woman on the inside and out and was an incredible gift to the world. This fic (which I was planning on posting before Christmas) is dedicated to you, Princess of our hearts. You will be sorely missed. May you rest in peace. Oxoxo_

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 _This will be a short fic (probably a two or three-shot) of the holiday season for the Solo Clan - which in my universe consists of a happily married Han and Leia and their big passel of kiddies (Sans Kylo Ren because I cannot stand him, or anything from TFA). Fluffy and sweet, similar to all of the Christmas cookies I am (but shouldn't be) eating._

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After an extended business trip to the Soldarei System, Han had pushed the _Falcon_ to her limits with the sole purpose of getting back home a few days ahead of schedule.

It had worked, except for the fact that he blew three pricey power converters in the process. But the financial cost would be worth every credit spent to replace them and every smart-ass jibe he'd have to endure from Chewie because dammit, he was homesick and wasn't ashamed to admit it to anybody.

He glanced at his wrist chrono, then refocused his eyes back on the traffic lanes, weaving his speeder around pokey drivers.

Didn't these people have someplace important to get to? He certainly did. A coveted reunion with his beautiful wife and the six children they'd created was just on the horizon, urging him onward. As he ventured farther away from Corellia's bustling port city of Pragada the traffic began to thin, encouraging him to punch the accelerator to the floor. _Almost there..._

Soon, the entire Solo clan - including himself (unless he got caught speeding by one of those pain-in-the-ass traffic monitors) would be clamoring around in their kitchen, getting ready for evening supper. A supper which would likely entail hefty servings of chatter and at least one cup of accidently spilled milk, he mused, grinning to himself. After dinner was finished, he'd clean up the dishes while Leia started the kids' baths, or vice versa, then it would be time for a holoboard game or two and some stories. And once all of the mini-Solos were tucked in bed, he and Leia would enjoy their own private reunion that would stretch well into the night.

Han's smile expanded, along with the heart inside his chest. Yes sir, life was good. More than good; it was pretty damn close to perfection as far as he was concerned. After the ups, downs, and everything in between they'd experienced in their nine years of marriage, the life that had evolved was very comfortable, thoroughly satisfying, and something that he profoundly understood should never be taken for granted.

Passing the roughhewn edges of Gihmmerton Crag, snowflakes swirled around in the darkening skies and descended to the ground in increasing intensity. At this rate, the entire area would be quickly transformed into a playground of white - perfect timing for Corellia's upcoming Winter Solstice celebrations, Han pondered, veering his speeder over the tall grasses of the open moors. After several minutes that seemed to take hours, the South Continent-style stone manor he'd built for Leia and their family finally came into view, the golden glow from its windows lifting his spirits up another notch.

He pulled into the vehicle enclosure, carefully avoiding a few play swoop cars and some other scattered toys before coming to a halt, any residual fatigue from his long journey melting away like the snow falling on warm pavement. Grabbing his duffel from the back of the speeder, Solo set his legs in motion, jumping every other step to swiftly reach the paneled entrance.

The retina scan beeped its approval and Han palmed the door open, crossing over the threshold into home sweet home with a sigh of relief, his overstuffed bag sliding down his arm to plop on the floor. A quizzical expression spread across his face while surveying the unusually empty family room, the only perceptible sounds being the crackle and snap from the wood inside the fireplace and faint holiday music filtering out from the direction of the kitchen.

 _Oh shit - its way too quiet around here_ , Solo mused with a knowing smirk. Because if family history and past experience taught him anything, silence meant trouble.

Either the kids were currently getting into mischief, or they were in hiding, trying to avoid punishment for something already committed (Like the time when they'd poured milk down the ventilation ducts, purportedly as a 'science experiment'). He shrugged off the rare tranquility while pulling off one boot, then the next. No one could ever accuse them of lax parenting, but with his and Leia's combined gene pool and six rambunctious children under one roof, he expected some shenanigans to occur from time to time.

Besides, no one was screaming or crying...at least at the moment.

He dragged off his coat and hung it on a nearby hook, still bemused at the lack of chaos that had become the norm in their home. He decided to holler at the top of his lungs. "Leia? Where the hel – heck is everybody?"

Not even a second had elapsed when there came a scrambled stampede of footsteps and a chorus of giddy voices erupting from down the hallway, "Daddy's home!"

"C'mere, little Solos," Han bellowed with a huge smile, crouching down and opening his arms wide to welcome the tornado of children barreling straight at him. Han junior and Bailey reached him first, swiftly followed by the twins Jaken and Jaina, then lastly Joakim, the combined momentum almost knocking him on the seat of his pants. "I missed you troublemakers," he declared between hugs and kisses, ruffling the boys' hair and tugging at the ends of Jaina's bouncing pony tails while listening intently to their animated chatter and asking them questions.

It wasn't long before Han spotted his wife approaching and he rose up to greet her, his already enormous grin reaching epic proportions. Leia was wearing an astonished, radiant smile while she adjusted their youngest, baby Mia-eille, against her hip, looking more gorgeous than he could remember, with her long chestnut hair pulled up in a simple ponytail and a few smudges of flour on her flushed cheeks. "Hiya, Sweetheart, I'm back."

Leia finally reached him through the swarm of children, her voice infused with love while rising up on her toes to kiss him. "Welcome home, Mr. Solo!"

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 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for the feedback and reviews! And I freely admit to changing the spelling of Jacen Solo to Jaken, just for the fun of it and for a bit of differentiation, since in my SW universe I won't have him going Darth ;)_

 _Fluffy times ahead for those who enjoy that sort of thing..._

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"Welcome home, Mr. Solo!" Leia exclaimed, her voice infused with love and a measure of relief as she reached him through the swarm of children, the baby in her arms kicking her chubby legs in excitement.

Han engulfed them both in an embrace, squeezing his wife close and savoring the feel of her body melding to him while he inhaled the sweet, familiar scent that was the essence of Leia. "Gods, it feels great to be home," he murmured into her hair before capturing her mouth with his in relatively innocent kiss, considering they did have an audience.

"Ewww, yucky," Han Junior and Bailey complained in unison, but their parents only laughed and continued their reunion, with Han losing himself and moaning softly into her mouth as Leia deepened the kiss. After a few blissful moments he dragged his lips away, drawling almost drunkenly, "Glad I'm back, Sweetheart?"

She giggled while caressing his cheek that was in dire need of a shave, her eyes beginning to fill with emotion. "Isn't it obvious?" Her husband's absence had felt much longer than the nearly two weeks it was planned to be, and his early return was just the surprise present she needed. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," she whispered through a watery smile. She had quite a surprise for him...

"I couldn't stand being away any longer. I had to get back to you and the kids," Han admitted huskily, running an adoring thumb across her lower lip before stealing another kiss.

"You were still on Soldarei Prime when we spoke last, so how in the worlds did you manage to get home almost two days ahead of schedule?"

"Well, it involved some creative manipulation of the _Falcon's_ power cells and using some old smuggling jump points, but those are just arbitrary schematics," he explained with a crooked smile, pecking Mia-eille's rosy cheeks.

Leia sighed, smiling up at him. Some things about her husband would never change, and she was perfectly okay with that. "Wait - It's probably better if I don't know any more details. You're safe and sound, and that's all that really matters," she concluded as Mia stretched out her arms, demanding more attention from daddy.

"How's my baby girl doing?" Han chuckled, lifting her up into the air, then kissing and tickling her into a giggling frenzy. His smile widened while listening to her babble "Dada" and a few other words he couldn't quite decipher but appreciated nonetheless.

As her fingers explored his earlobes and poked at his eyes, Han marveled again how this youngest Solo was a miniature replica of Leia, complete with big brown orbs, wavy chestnut hair and a feisty personality to boot. And that feistiness was making an appearance, with Mia-eille arching her back and balking loudly to be set loose on the carpet. So he freed her and off she toddled on wobbly legs, determined to investigate the building blocks Joakim was stacking into a tower. He pushed a few cubes in her direction, inviting her to join him. Thank Gods he was a pretty patient kid – for a three year old.

"She's a handful," the princess exhaled with a watchful eye, picking up a few scattered story books and setting them on a nearby table.

"Yeah, like a few other kids I happen to know," Han quipped, studying his wife's beautiful countenance and noticing the faint signs of fatigue beginning to form from a long day. Having a large family was something they'd both desired from the beginning of their marriage. And while a large brood of kids was incredibly rewarding and certainly never dull, it also had its share of challenges. He hated leaving Leia for long bouts of travel with only 3PO for backup, since in his opinion, the prissy droid seemed more of a nuisance than anything else. "I know that you're actually Super Amaza-Woman in disguise, but you still gotta be exhausted," he offered while sweeping a few tendrils of hair off her forehead.

Leia's eyes lit up mischievously. "So, you discovered my sparkly cape and golden thigh high boots under the bed, I take it?"

He chuckled, linking their fingers and gently tugging her toward the sofa while suggesting, "That was a long time to 'hold the fort' all by yourself. I'm thinking you could use a break."

"I'm fine, just a little extra tired today - nothing that a cup of caf after dinner can't solve. It didn't help that Mon holo-commed me three times this afternoon about the ambassador to Nohri," Leia grimaced, the sound levels suddenly climbing another level as the older boys began taking aim at each other with their toy Nnerff crossbows. "Please do NOT shoot at anyone's face," Leia curtly reminded as Bailey dove for cover behind the Winter Solstice tree. "Luke was able to come over for a few days, and Threepio always helps with the laundry and groceries. I sent him out to the store with a long list right before you arrived, so it'll be a few hours before he's back. I know how disappointed that makes you," Leia smirked up at him.

"I'm crushed, but somehow I'll survive. So what's been goin' on around here while I've been flying all over hells-half-galaxy?" Han queried, pushing a stuffed Ewok bear out the way before plopping down on the cushions, encouraging Leia to take her usual place across his lap.

"Hmm. Where to begin," she paused, contemplating exactly how and when to break her big news to him when Bailey enthusiastically interrupted while re-loading his crossbow, "Guess what Daddy? Jaken can write his name now!"

As Han crooned in delight, Leia pinched the bridge of her nose at the tainted accomplishment and snickered. "He certainly can. The good news is that Jaken can write his full name. The bad news is that he wrote it all over the play room walls yesterday – with a permanent ink stylus." Her husband's stunned expression spoke volumes. "I tried using those new grillo cleaning pads to remove his autographs," she trailed off with a defeated smirk before leaning near his ear and murmuring, " _Your_ son certainly gets into plenty of trouble."

" _My_ son? Han stuttered, his face screwing up in mild chagrin at her insinuation. "Why is it that when one of the kids does something good, they're _yours_ , but when one of 'em does something that's a little questionable (he chose his words carefully), they're exclusively mine?"

She thought about the accusation while toying with a loose button on his shirt. "You're imagining things and over-generalizing," Leia denied primly, struggling to suppress a grin.

"Oh I am, am I?" Han snorted with a chuckle, readying a retort just as his namesake stopped running and came to a screeching halt in front of his parents. "Dad, Mom, I forgot to tell you that Uncle Luke commed and left a message earlier, when you were feeding Mia, Mommy. He said something about you still owing him some credits for a... reck...reckless...speeding ticket," Han Junior announced directly to his father before charging back into the fray.

Han grimaced and clearing his throat. "Uhh thanks, Little Cub for the reminder," he called out, turning back to witness the look of triumph spreading across his wife's face.

"Now, remind me, Flyboy, exactly _what_ were we discussing?" Leia innocently taunted, her smile beginning to break through.

"Never mind...just forget it," Han grumbled as she broke into a fit of laughter, giggling about 'the applen not falling far from the tree' while nuzzling into his chest. The sting of defeat was lessened by all of the tender kisses she was depositing along his jawline. "Any other memorable highlights I missed out on?"

"Besides the normal chaos, we've been extra busy around here, getting ready for Winter Solstice," Leia answered, slipping off of his lap and urging him toward the kitchen because there was a meal waiting to be completed. "It's hard to believe there's only six more days until Father Winter comes for a visit!" Leia gushed enthusiastically to the children clustering around them.

"He'll stop by our house, won't he?" Jaina asked her parents with an obvious sliver of concern, clutching her Little Mewsk tightly under her arm. "We've all been... _pretty_ good this year, haven't we?" Jaken interjected, chewing on his lower lip.

They briefly exchanged glances before smiling reassuringly at the tiny faces staring at them in rapt attention. "You've all been very good, so I'm sure he'll come," Han insisted, with Leia agreeing. "And after dinner, daddy and I will help all of you finish your wish lists." A roar of approval broke out from their children as they scrambled toward the kitchen, with Leia calling out after them, "But remember first, we have to eat. So please clean up the toy catalogs and lists off the kitchen table, then go wash your hands."

She started her charge into the kitchen when Han caught her hand, gently holding her back, craving more of the physical contact that he'd been missing for the past few weeks. "Hey, hey...not so fast, Princess. Speaking of wish lists, did you finally put one together for yourself?" Her exaggerated eye roll provided him an answer. "Better not procrastinate any longer. Father Winter ain't no mind-reader, ya know," he chided.

"I'll think up a few things later, once the kiddies are tucked in for bed. Now, unless you want to eat burnt meat for dinner, you better let me go," Leia giggled, picking up Mia-eille and flitting off into the kitchen, providing Han a perfect view of her subtle wiggle of hips that he never got tired of seeing. Yup, there was no place like home, he grinned slyly, looking forward to the adult version of 'gift giving' they'd be sharing tonight. He sauntered through the doorway, his wife's dulcet voice drawing him out of his thoughts.

"And while we're on the subject, what do you want, Captain? - besides those Frango chocomints you ask for every year," Leia volleyed while setting Mia-Eille into her high chair. She sprinkled a few of Mia's favorite crackers on the tray in the hopes of keeping her occupied for a few minutes, then whisked past Han to open one of the ovens, removing a large roasting pan and setting it on the island.

He gave serious consideration to her question while retrieving a stack of plates from the cupboard. New hydrospanners? Nah, the set he had was working just fine. Maybe it was time for another subscription to 'Classic Ships and Speeders', he pondered, becoming distracted by the delicious scent wafting through the air, inhaling deeply. "Is that roast nerf I'm smelling?"

She laughed, hearing her husband's stomach growl like a Wampa while draining a pot of steaming potmatoes into the sink. "Yes it is, my meat-loving man. When you're done drooling, would you please pour some milk for the kids?" Leia requested, scampering over to the cold unit to grab some butter and cream.

"Sure. I can mash the potmatoes for you, if you want," Han suggested, filling up glasses and sippy cups as she dismissed his offer with a wave. "Thanks, but no – I have this under control. How about getting out the broccolini casserole out of the lower oven? The kids will actually eat it now because I mix in extra cheese. Oh, I have fresh baked rolls in the warmer, too."

He watched in amusement as Leia mashed the potmatoes while simultaneously pushing the refrigerator door shut with her foot and chastising Bailey (because he was convinced she really _did_ have eyes in the back of her head). "Bailey-Koe I'm not going to tell you again - stop kicking your brother under the table!" she warned, returning her attention to Han and the current topic of conversation. "C'mon Flyboy - besides Father Winter, I need some ideas for you myself, otherwise you'll be getting boxers and socks," Leia playfully urged, filling up the assembly line of plates in front of her, then handing them off to her husband.

He delivered dinner to the kids, who were chattering at each other and fidgeting in their chairs, reminding them to settle down and eat their food or else there'd be no dessert - and he meant it.

Solo's eyes lingered on each pint-sized face surrounding the table before finally coming to rest on his precious princess, a feeling of contentment washing over him. This Corellian home was frequently chaotic, messy and loud...but also full of laughter, happiness, and unmitigated love, and his wife and children were the real treasures in life - cherished and irreplaceable gifts that no sum or material item could ever rival. He gazed at Leia with a look of pure joy plastered across his face, declaring, "Sweetheart, I have everything I could ever want."

A hot rush of emotion pulsed through Leia, coloring her cheeks a rosy pink. She opened her lips to say something, then caught herself and instead gave him an effervescent, impish smile, "Well, maybe not _everything._ "

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 _One more chapter to go of this little slice of domestic bliss. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing and Happy New Year!_


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